Automotive Mobile Audio Video

If you drive a BMW 3 Series, 5 Series or X-5 vehicle built between 2002 and 2006 and you find yourself needing to use a cell phone while driving, you must have a BMW Bluetooth upgrade module today. Recent tragic and near-tragic events have demonstrated that attempting to use a cell phone while driving is unsafe, posing a potentially deadly hazard to yourself and others. Meanwhile, growing numbers of states and cities are passing legislation making it illegal to use a cell phone while driving. By installing a BMW Bluetooth upgrade module, you'll be able to comply with these new laws while using your cell phone with greater safety.

How Bluetooth Works

It is unlikely that there is anyone today who has not encountered, used, or at least heard of Bluetooth technology. What most people do know is that Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows people to use a mouse and keyboard with the personal computers without the spaghetti-like tangle of cords.

Bluetooth is indeed this, but it is much more. It is actually a protocol, using low-bandwidth radio waves, that allows all kinds of digital devices to "talk" to each other. Musicians may remember MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), an industry standard that allows a wide variety of musical instruments to communicate and be played by a single person. What MIDI did for music, Bluetooth has done for computers, cell phones, digital cameras, and even game consoles!

Integrating Bluetooth With Your BMW

Getting back to the subject at hand, the BMW Bluetooth upgrade module will allow you to update your vehicle by fully integrating your cell phone into your BMW's sound system. Using the car's OEM radio and speakers, you will be able to receive incoming calls without ever having to physically reach for your cell phone. The BMW Bluetooth upgrade module even mutes your radio programming automatically when an incoming phone call is detected.

You'll also be able to make outgoing calls using the buttons on your steering wheel and voice command. Not all cell phones are supported, but you'll still be able to take advantage and enjoy the safety of being able to use your cell phone without looking away from the road or removing your hands from the steering wheel.

It's Easy and Inexpensive

The BMW Bluetooth upgrade module is an affordable way to bring your car's capabilities up-to-date, and the specific instructions that are included takes the mystery out of installation. Each BMW Bluetooth upgrade module is model-specific and based on original equipment manufacturer parts. It's virtually "plug and play."

You probably like listening to music in your car and you wish that you could always have music in your car. You can now if you go buy the proper stereo equipment. All you need is a head unit which is just another word for CD player. You just need to look at all your options and see what you have to choose from. You can find CD players online, you can find them in stores in the mall, and you can find them at electronic stores. Anywhere that sells electronics like stereo equipment and stuff like that will have your car stereo that you want. All you have to do is go out and look for what you want and you will find what is good for you.

When you are buying car audio equipment you can choose from all kinds of brands and models. You can go out and get a JVC head unit, and go buy Kenwood subwoofers. There are all kinds of options for your car. Along with your new CD player and subwoofers you will need new door speakers and amps. You will want to get good door speakers so you can actually hear the music not the blown speakers that you bought with the car. The other thing that you will need is amps. You will need a highs and mid amp for the CD player and the door speakers. Thus you will need a second amp for your subwoofers around 500 to 1000watts are ideal. So after you have your whole system you are ready to pay for it and then have it installed if you do not know how to install it yourself. After you have installed one system it is like putting icing on the cake for all the rest.

Making your car system sound good can take a while, you might want all the best parts such as JL audio or JBL. So if you cannot afford all your parts at once just by the piece you need one at a time until you have your whole system complete and the way you wanted it. A perfect custom car audio system will take time and you might not have all the money at once that is why it is good that you save money to be able to finish the system. You will want quality subs and amps. You will not want to buy some stuff from Wal-Mart to put in your car and expect it to be custom. You will want quality and quality doesn't come from Wally world. You can get a JVC head unit with JL audio subs and amps along with door speakers and that would be the best system you will ever hear because JL audio is perhaps one of the best audio equipment suppliers around the United States. Everyone has their equipment because it is quality. So go out and get your system before they up the prices, you can still go online to buy your products.

When you are on the look out for car audio amplifiers, first you got to know how it functions and what is it used for. The purpose of a car audio amplifier is to convert a low level signal from the source unit to a high level signal for driving the loudspeakers. Amplifiers can range in power from 20 watts to over a thousand watts per channel. And their prices too differ from one amplifier to another depending on their features, quality and power. The most popular type of amplifier is the one with 2 to 4 channels model.

If needed, you can even add extra built-in features to car audio amplifiers whenever required. Some of these extra built-in features may include, crossovers, speaker level units, equalizers, and signal processing. While purchasing an amplifier for your car stereo system, there is one thing you need to take into consideration when it comes to dealing with amplifier power ratings. You should see that all power ratings are not created equal. The true measurement for an amplifier power is the RMS rating or the continuous power ratings.

Quality of the car audio amplifier is very important to take into account when buying the amplifier. But the question is how do you know if it is a high quality amplifier? The good indicator of a quality amplifier will be determined by the weight and the size of the amplifier. The heavier the amplifier the better the quality it will produce. But size is not all that matters

Another indication that you can consider is the quality of the car audio amplifier by the size of the fuse used. There are different classes of amplifier, and a quick and easy way to check the true power output is to take the fuse value of the amplifier or the sum of the multiple fuses and multiply it by 6, if it is an A or B class amps, or 10 for class D amps where the efficiency is higher. Though this will not give you an accurate result, but it will be able to indicate if your car audio amplifier is close to the specifications.

If you have a tight budget or lack of space, the most economical thing to do is to opt for a multi-channel amplifier with the required built-in processor and features that you need. This will save you a lot of money and space, which will in turn allow you to add any extra feature to your car audio amplifier. Though there will be difference in quality compared to the outboard processors but this will not be noticeable. Sometime adding too many components can lessen the chance of noise entering into the system.

To sum out in brief, the key features you need to look into before purchasing a car audio amplifier includes, bridgeable, channels, connectors, class, crossovers, distortion, filters, power output, efficiency, speaker level input, stability, separate gain controls, tube amplifier, tri-mode out put, power supply, pre-amp inputs and outputs. But make sure that you always opt for genuine brands through genuine dealers.

Car audio system, in modern world, has become more of a symbol of status than of entertainment and utility. Selection of them for your car can be as tough as buying clothes from a sales counter. In this case, at least a working knowledge on basic components of car system shall stand in good stead for the customer.

Deck, amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers are the essential ingredients of a car stereo system. A deck can range from simple cassette deck and CD player to hi-fi MP3 and mini disc gizmo. An amplifier, usually the symbol of power in the audio system, precisely, the power to blast, can have 1 to 7 channels. Fancy speakers will give the user enough mileage to hear and be heard. Subwoofers complement the low frequencies and bring forth the vibrations in a car that sets the rhythm in motion for the user.

Usually, most systems come with the facility of access to FM and AM radio. Different models of stereo can have multi channel mobile sound processors, digital media, navigation, steering wheel audio control adapter, etc. Acoustics must be adopted in the vehicle for maximum output from minimum input of the system. Also, it must be installed in the best possible manner for maximum audibility of the passengers and yet must not impinge on the guidelines set by motor vehicles authority.

Before zeroing in on one option, a user can easily shop via Internet from various service providers and settle for the best price. Here, quality and pricing will be complementary as it is a luxury item.

Also, the music system must be easy to handle and operate. As the user will mostly concentrate on driving while operating the system, cumbersome operations can create confusion and even disaster. Features of the audio system must also be compatible with the vehicle itself. A sleek car can do without a very big gadget, while larger vehicles can have added features in the stereo system.

Fitting the audio system into the car is an important consideration before you buy. Some service providers offer free services. Also, a user has to learn whether his motor insurance covers them as well.

If you are a new user, it is best to go for simple system, instead of the advanced and highly customized ones. Also, it is better to use cheaper systems in the car used especially for children, as they are prone to damage it by their persistent experimentation.

Most importantly, it is always advisable for the user to stick to his budget while choosing an audio system. One must remember that with the frenetic pace of technology and digitalization even the most advanced system can fall by the wayside within a span of as little as six months.

Hence a user must look for a quality, cheap and effective audio system for his recreation while he takes a ride out in this fast changing world.

Installing car amplifiers is challenging. You have to make sure the amplifier gets enough air circulation to keep from overheating while enclosing it in a way that prevents theft. Satisfying these needs doesn't always yield the best looking results. But, you can still show off your personal style when installing your amplifier with these simple suggestions.

Picture how you want the amp to look. Are you thinking "high tech" with a concealed panel? Or, are you going for a more industrial look with visible cables? Paint it; Wrap it in leather, carpet, or vinyl. Use your imagination and your rack design will show your style.

Airflow is a major consideration when installing an amplifier. The electronics in the amplifier produce a lot of heat when you crank up volume, and heat can damage the components. Ample airflow is essential for good performance and reliability and two ways to accomplish this are convection and forced-air systems.

The simplest cooling method is convection. It's simple because most car amplifiers come with convection cooling already built in. Convection occurs when the warm air inside the amplifier rises and dissipates through the fins of the aluminum heat sink. Warm air is replaced by cooler air drawn from below creating a continuous circulation of cool air that prevents the amp from overheating. Convection cooling works fine as long as the air circulates. The ideal would be to install the rack on a vertical surface in an open space with the fins vertically aligned.

A forced air system has triple the cooling capacity of a simple convection system. Simply adding an electric fan to increase airflow over the amplifier's heat sinks makes a big difference. That's one reason why high power amplifiers have thermostats; thermostats control the fans. If your rack holds multiple convection cooled amplifiers, it's worth it to install multiple fans. The cooler the amps, the longer they'll last. Running power for a fan is just a matter of connecting with the source unit's remote turn on lead since most accessory fans run on 12v DC. When the system turns on, the fans start up along with the other components on that circuit.

Now that you've got this great amplifier you want to show it off, but, how do you keep it from being stolen? If you can see the rack from the outside, you could be tempting fate. Consider one of the following options to prevent someone from stealing your equipment.

1.Make it detachable by fastening the amp rack with wing nuts. If the amplifier takes up cargo space, being able to take it out of the vehicle is an asset. However, removing the rack every time you park your car can be a hassle.

2.Create a removable secret panel to conceal the rack. The cover can be made of anything from fabric to fiberboard.

3.Install a good security system.

Use all three deterrents for the ultimate protection. Detachability provides extra security and additional cargo space when necessary. A removable panel is convenient. And, finally, a security system provides the last defense. You put a lot of effort into this project. Protect your work in style.

You've heard the booming bass as a car travels down the road. To capture this sound quality yourself, you need to construct a quality amp rack that brings the best of sound quality to your car. Usually an amp rack system begins in the trunk. This depends on the vehicle you drive, however. One man's trunk can be another man's truck bed. In some vehicles, the trunk is too minimal to even bother. You must choose a location that protects the components from outside elements while also allowing space for the system you desire.

A panel that can old all of the speaker components is placed in the a large enough space to allows the amplifiers, woofers, and other speaker systems to attach to this unit. Most people use an amp rack because it looks good. Sometimes, appearance does count. Custom upholstery and a variety of other features can turn an average amp rack into an awe inspiring artistic creation. In fact, there are car competitions for those with the prettiest amp rack.

If you have built a solid amp rack, you will find that the instillation is simple. It is all a matter of sliding the speaker components into place, wiring them up, and then hooking it all up to your stereo system. Leave a small opening in the back in case you have to rewire speakers or replace blown fuses. Make sure the openings are small, as appearance can make or break the value of your sound system. If you ever opt to resell, you can make plenty of money by having a solid and artistic amp rack.

Size does matter. You would be foolish to build an amp rack that is larger than your card can fit. Imagine purchasing all the components only to discover they will not fit. Measure repeatedly to ensure that your dream amp rack will work in the available space. Choose components that can fit into the space you have available. Also keep in mind the fact that you will most likely want to upgrade components over time.

Placement is everything. In a van, your sound system has plenty of room for growth. Average drivers do not have vans, though. For this reason, many drivers need to find a suitable location. Sedans are probably best equipped with the amp rack in the trunk. Corvettes, Trans Ams, GTOs, and Firebirds often have designated locations for an amp rack. In a truck, the amp rack should be placed in the narrow space behind the truck bench. In other trucks, you may need to place it beneath the seats. Given weather conditions, you should never place the amp rack in your truck bed. Hatchbacks can be trickier, but most can still house a wonderful system.

Every car that drives and people are in it needs a car stereo or some kind of CD player. If you were driving from one end of the state and you expect to go to the other end of the state without any music and you are by yourself then you must be one lonely person. You can listen to your music all you want inside your own car and you don't have to listen to anyone telling you to turn it down or off. Many people love their time in their own car because it lets them enjoy the music that they like to listen to. Without music we wouldn't have the audio equipment that we have today.

If you bought a car without a CD player sometimes they give you a free CD player to put in the car, other times your new car might come with a whole new audio system with subwoofers and amps. You can find a CD player anywhere like best buy, circuit city any place that sells electronics is going to have your CD player for your car. You will want to go look for a car audio stereo at a place that sells that kind of audio equipment. Such as best buy or circuit city or just a local place that sells that kind of electronics. You can usually find a really good deal on a car stereo online at their sites where they have deals that they don't offer in the stores. You can get these deals only online and they are worth it. You can probably get a CD player online for as little as $50. That is if you go to the right place online. If you still cannot find a stereo unit then you just need to go to best buy.

If you are just wanting to get information about the different car CD players then you just need to go online and start looking at prices and seeing the different brands and models. There are so many different kinds to choose from and they are all good stereos. Usually if you are looking online at best buy or circuit city they will not always have the CD player in stock at the store so it would be wise to order one from their site because that's probably the only place you will find a good cheap stereo for your car. You can probably pick one up anywhere from $50 to $200. You just need to look and see what you like. You might find something that you like on an overstock site and it is really cheap but on the other hand you might find something that you like even more at the store but it is kind of expensive, to get what you want you might have to spend a little more. So go the extra dollar and get what you want and what you will enjoy your music while you are driving in your car.

For a proficient and good quality car audio systems, car stereo speakers play a vital role. They are exceptional in the sense that they are designed only for reproducing sound frequencies. The audio system of the car is judged by a number of specifications matching the core.

The first criterion that a buyer should consider is the frequency response. It should be higher and wider so that the function of capturing and reproducing the sound is performed in a much better way. In addition, a buyer should also consider the efficiency or sensitivity of the car stereo speakers, which decide how far the sound will travel.

Focusing on the maximum power RMS, that is, the maximum power, which the speaker can produce continuously, is important if the system is to be played continuously.

Going for a component speaker will make the listening more thrilling since it gives a complete range and quality of sound inside the car. The power of them should be efficient enough not to diminish the riding power of the car. Not only this, while shopping for various types of speaker systems it is always a good idea to listen to each type all of them should sound a bit different from the other.

With the advancement in technology and the demand of music lovers, today, one can find many types of car stereo speakers. The automakers have designed various kinds of stereo systems, which could reproduce certain frequencies. The wider the frequency response of a speaker the larger sound signal the speaker can capture and reproduce. This can be explained with an example. To capture and reproduce treble high pitched frequencies a tweeter is the best. A sub woofer can only capture the low frequency, i.e. the bass.

Today, in market one can find a wide range of car stereo speakers. These are Multi Element speakers a.k.a coaxial speakers, Midbass or Midrange speakers, Component speakers and Sub Woofers.

Multi Element or coaxial speakers consist of two types speakers i.e., woofers and tweeters that are constructed into one. The woofer, which is shaped as a large cone, generates low range frequencies, on the other hand, there are three tweeters in the form of three small cones that handle the higher pitched frequencies.

Midrange speakers are those systems that are designed to capture and reproduce the middle and sometimes some low bass frequencies. A midrange speaker is generally smaller than a woofer and can reproduce frequency range of approximately 300 to 5000 hertz. These types are fitted in the side or the door panels of the cars.

Component speakers can reproduce high pitched frequencies. These kinds of speakers contain tweeters and horn loaded compression drivers. If a tweeter comes above 25 kilo hertz then it is called a super tweeter.

Another of the car stereo speakers is the sub woofer, which is capable of reproducing the lowest frequencies. The sub woofers have the capability of reproducing sound of the highest quality without reducing too much audio signal off it.

In 1973 the U.S. Department of Defence launched the Navstar GPS network. This consisted of 24 satellites orbiting the earth every 12 hours and five ground stations. This positioning system was made available for public use. With this capability, consumer location devices were produced to accurately determine location and other data such as current and average speed, directional heading, and elevation. These GPS devices need an unobstructed view of at least four satellites to provide a reliable 3D fix.

The GPS receiver overlays this location data onto map files stored on the unit, to give a current position on the map as well previous track. The receiver constantly recalculates position, giving real time position.

A typical GPS device contains:

* 12-channel receiver - the quality of the receiver determines how long it takes the device to acquire a 3D fix.
* Antenna to capture satellite signals - positioned to get a clear view of the sky.
* CPU to process the data and overlay on maps
* DVD Hard-drive - where maps on DVD's or available online are uploaded and stored. Some cheaper units do not upload the maps, but reference them off the DVD or CD.
* Display Screen - mostly color with handheld units using black and white
* Voice Interface - more advanced units

How The GPS Device Gets A Fix

The first time you start your GPS device, its data store is blank so needs a to collect satellite information to determine your position. This is known as a cold start. Some units only take 30 to 45 seconds to acquire a 3D fix during a cold start, while others can take several minutes. Subsequent position updates only take 3 to 4 seconds. If you go out of range from losing line of sight, such as passing behind a large building or through a tunnel, a good receiver will instantly recover, whereas weaker units will require more time to reacquire a 3D fix.

How Different GPS Navigation Units Differ

Location of Antenna - A factory installed in-dash unit antenna is integrated into the dashboard where it has an unobstructed view of the sky. Many portable models have a suction-cup-mounting device to position the device on the windshield. Add-on antennas are also available. Regardless of the type of unit and antenna, the important thing is to keep the antenna visible to the greatest area of sky possible. Choose a unit where this can be done AT THE SAME TIME as being able to maintain a clear view of the screen.

Screens and Display - important to check how bright these are, and if they are clearly visible from the mounted position in bright day light. Onboard navigation systems are generally color screens, and portable units are black and white to save power. Larger screens and integrate better with other vehicle electronics.

Input Buttons - most enroute buttons are on the display screen. Ensure these are easy to use when driving; that is they are big enough and colored sufficently to see without causing a driving hazard.

Map Media - Earlier models were CD-based, requiring multiple discs to cover the entire United States. Newer in-dash systems are DVD-based; only 1-2 DVD's required for an entire country of maps.

Cost - In-dash systems are usually more expensive than portable counterparts. Aftermarket in-dash models usually require professional installation and can be just as expensive as the factory models.

Upgrading - always check how easy it is to upgrade the firmware and maps on your GPS unit. Some units detach a portion to be connected to the computer via USB, whereas others are done using a DVD. Those units which can be upgraded online, are much more convenient.

Added Features of GPS Units

Apart from giving you a current position, a number of GPS navigation devices can give you:

* A track of where you have been - the number of tracks and waypoints stored varies from unit to unit. You may also want to save on part of a track for future use.
* A path from your current position to your destination
* Maintain commonly used navigation paths for reuse.
* Points of Interest - user sets the types of points of interest, such as tourist, bank ATM, petrol stations, historical, accommodation, restaurants etc.
* Real time traffic reporting to avoid traffic delays. This can also include road works.
* Voice recognition to receive destination instructions, and voice guidance to give driving instructions
* Weather updates
* Street name navigation - instead of just turn left 200m it was say 'Turn left into Stanley St'
* Integrated Multimedia players - MP3 players, image viewers, and audio books.
* Onboard or Portable GPS Navigation

The downside of onboard GPS Navigation units are susceptible to theft; and you cannot take them with you to use in other vehicles or when travelling abroad. Portable units, such as the Garmin StreetPilot 2720, can be used in multiple cars; being easily moved from car to car. Depending upon the power supply and portability, portable and handheld units can be taken when travelling or used on cycles, boats, private aircraft etc.

I desire that the following article will help you to better understand this topic. For the car fan there is nothing as satisfying as a car that has all of the cutting-edge accessories installed. With these various accessories you can get the premium service that you have always dreamed about. One item that many car owners want is a great look sound system. To find this you will sometimes need to go and see multiple car audio stores. As this can sometimes be a hassle you can utilize the internet as a research mechanism.

When you type in the words car audio stores your favorite search engine will showing many different pages that are filled with links that you can access. Going into these links will erupt the assorted car audios these stores have in stock. You can use their Warehouse or shop section to see the unlike car audio that you like. Now even though you are initially going to do some explore the cyberspace may tempt you to buy some of their trade goods from these car audio stores. To void this you should know a few facts about different car audio systems. With this info you can get good items that will help your car audio to sound actually clear and nice.

Once you have looked at the assorted car audios that you can bargain you should check out a few car sound reviews to see what other customers have to say about the another car audios. Their comments can help you to nullify car audios that will give you many problems. These facts can actually come in handy at the assorted car audio stores that you will need to visit. So what should you do once you reach these assorted car audio stores? Well the first thing that you should do is to browse the diverse systems that are available.

You should find a sales Assistant who can help you out and answer various questions that you may have regarding the different car audios that you see. Among the many questions that you can ask should be the specifications of these car audios and the be range of each. You should wait until you have reached a few more car audio stores before you decide what types of car sound system you wan to have installed in your car.

Once you have brought your car sound system all that remains is to follow the operating instructions and set up the system. As soon as the system is wholly fitted in you should give this new car audio a test run and delight the great sound poring into your car. Thank you for Taking you time to read through this information if you’re concerned in gathering more knowledge please continue to search this site.